My first proper post on this blog thing and I've decided it'll be about Rugby. More specificaly: Welsh Rugby. Depending on how I feel, I may end up doing one of these for everything surrounding this years' World Cup, or I might just do this one on Wales. Anyway, I've still not got the hang of this blogging lark again, so appologies if this is all a bit ranty and/or uncohesive.
OK, as some of you may have noticed, a certain Mr. William Micheal Phillips was arrested the other night outside McDonalds in Cardiff, heavily drunk and looking for a fight. This is the same Phillips that has been destroying Wales' chances of pushing on to anything near their potential for the past two years, ever since he lost form following his poutstanding Lions tour. He's been but a shadow of the player since then, lacking his trademark physicality as well as the speed he has often been critised of, even before that.
Wales must have 6 or 7 decent Scrum-Halves, each with their own pros and cons. While the choice of Phillips seemed obvious in Gatlands' eye, now his favourite No. 9 has gone missing, who is he going to pick? While I know who I'd go for, let's look through Gatland's eyes for a minute and try and add up the pros and cons of each half back...
Dwyane Peel
Points: 25 (5 tries)
Age: 29
Club: Sale Sharks
Pros: Experience. Peel is Wales' most-capped Scrum-Half, a great honour when you look at those that have come before him, the likes of Gareth Edwards, Robert Jones and Robert Howley. He's got a very good pass on him and is pretty quick to the break down. Knows Stephen Jones very well (They're even opening a resteraunt together in Llanelli later this year) and as such is a good option to partner him, provided it is Steveo that starts instead of Hook.
Cons: He plays for Sale. Due to the EPS' stupid player release rules, Gatland hasn't had the time he wants to look at Peel and to train with him, and it also means that he falls outside of the 'Gatlands Law' idea he tried to introduce, hoping that Wales' best players would play in Wales.
Richie Rees
Caps: 10
Points: 5 (1 try)
Age: 27
Club: Cardiff Blues
Pros: His speed is essential. Richie Rees=Quick ball. Last autumn campaign when he came off the bench for Phillips every game, the tempo picked up so much for him, and he got his reward in the shape of a try against Austrailia. Richie Rees just turns up straight away and sends the ball onto the next player, opposed to Peel making sure his pass is perfect and Phillips just never turning up. If Wales are serious about wanting to play quicker rugby, they need Richie Rees, although his job may remain as an impact sub.
Cons: The accuracy of his passing isn't brilliant, but often that doesn't matter, as he's got Wales on the front foot anyway. His kicking is also an area he needs to improve if he's coming on to close out a tight game. If he can leave the decisson-making to a calmer head such as Stephen though, he could be just the ticket.
Tavis Knoyle
Points: 0
Age: 21
Club: Scarlets
Pros: Tav is a half way point between every sort of Scrum-Half. He's straight to the break down like Rees, he's got a good pass like Peel and he's able to take players of physically like Phillips. He's also called Tavis Daffydd Knoyle. What a great name. And there's no 'R' in Tavis, either. He loves to try and go play quickly, hence why the Scarlets suit him so much. I'd love to see more of him in a Wales shirt.
Cons: Jack of all trades, master of none? Bit harsh, but he's not as quick as Rees, not as good a passer as Peel and not as big as Phillips. He's also only got the three caps, all of which under twenty minutes off the bench, however he has looked up to the pace of the game in all three of those games.
Lloyd Williams
Points: 0
Age: 21
Club: Cardiff Blues
Pros: He's utterly rapid. He's got great acceleration, allowing him to make some lightening breaks off the back of scrums. He's also got a very good pass, a skill he no doubt learnt from his dad- Ex-Wales and Lions No. 9 and legend, Brynmor Williams.
Cons: ...Or so I think. He's hardly played. In fact, the picture above is of him playing for semi-pro Welsh outfit Glammorgan Wanders.And that's the only one I could find of him actually playing. He'd been on the bench for the Blues up until he missed 5 months injured. In fact, he's only played 15 games in total for the Blues, and scored 1 try. Can you make an international, never mind a World Cup player, out of that?
The other contendors
Not in the squad, but still could be wild cards....
Had a great season for the Ospreys, really the form scrum-half up until the very end of the season, not looking quite as sharp in the final few games. However, he could be an outside bet to make the team either way. He's already forced Phillips out of one starting XV, can he do it again?
He's also been in form for a while now but has been totally overlooked by Gatland. It's a shame, too, as he's a nuggety little character, a typical scrum-half who seems able to do no wrong. he';s outplayed almost every great scrum-half in Europe at some point, including everyone on this very list. Could be worth a shout.
Martin RobertsSeemed a good bet just a year or so ago, but has rapidly fallen out of favour on all accounts. He's now dropped behind Knoyle for the Scarlets, to the point inwhich he's left to join Northampton Saints next season. it's a shame, as his pass is excellent, but he is a gobby little *Ahem*. If he could learn to shut his mouth, he could be a decent player. He'll probably only ever be famous for the photo on the left, however.
I could go into your Tommy Isaacs and your Nancy Griffiths, but I'll leave it there. Over all, I'd like to think that we've got quite good strength-in-depth at 9. However, that doesn't really seem the case. We've got some good players who could do a job in the shirt, but only Peel really who's a proper international class Scrum Half. However, I'd like to see Tav build up in the summer games pre-World Cup, as his mix of styles could be just the badger. Then again, I'm probably wrong and we should be picking Shane at 9.
Until next time,
ME. JUST ME.
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